Celebrate the art of puppetry at The Skirball. Puppet Festival photo by Ben Gibbs, courtesy of the Skirball Cultural Center
Disney on Ice, Arts & Literacy Festival, and More Top Things To Do in Los Angeles This Weekend
Enjoy Mother's Day at the Getty Villa. Photo courtesy of Mommy Poppins
37 Things To Do on Mother's Day 2024 in Los Angeles
Strawberries are that much sweeter when you pick them yourself. Photo courtesy of the Carlsbad Strawberry Company, Facebook
Best Strawberry Picking Farms and Strawberry Festivals near Los Angeles
GUIDE
Los Angeles Summer Camp Guide
Treat mom to Mother's Day brunch on the coast. Photo courtesy of Terranea Resort
Best Mother’s Day Brunch in Los Angeles
Watch the puppet masters at Bob Baker Day. Photo by Chloe Rice, courtesy of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater
Best Free and Fun Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids April 2024
Amplify’s one-of-a-kind music and arts camp attracts deeply creative kids from California and around the world.
  VIDEO
This Top LA Area Music and Arts Camp Still Has Spots Open
Photo courtesy of The Flower Fields of Carlsbad
GUIDE
Spring Fun Guide for LA & OC Kids
Even in a dry year, California is bursting with gorgeous colors in the spring!
Stunning Spring Wildflower Hikes near Los Angeles
Dino Valley means jurassic fun in LEGOLAND for kids of all ages.
NEW Dino Valley in LEGOLAND is Open for T-Rex-Sized Fun
Where else are kids going to learn archery, besides summer camp? Photo courtesy of Tom Sawyer Camp
Best Summer Day Camps in Los Angeles
Wander to a local waterfall, with excited kids in tow.
Best Waterfall Hikes Near Los Angeles for Families
Get your game on at sports summer camps. Photo courtesy of Saken Sports Camp
Top Sports Summer Camps in Los Angeles: Soccer Summer Camps, Baseball Camps, and More
Photo by Bill Soistmann
GUIDE
Los Angeles Visitors' Guide for Families
Dive into fun at the Cayton Children's Museum. Photo by Matthew Tucciarone
Best Children's Museums in Los Angeles and Orange County
Right this way to all the free fun in LA, especially at the Griffith Observatory! Photo by Gina Ragland
100 Fun Free Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids
Everything at the Cayton has been carefully crafted with one goal in mind: to help create a better world through the power of play.
Guide to the Cayton Children’s Museum in Santa Monica–A Parent Review
Step into an
NEW American Girl Store Opens in Los Angeles
Imaginative play for preschoolers is music to our ears. Photo courtesy of Pretend City
39 Things To Do with Preschoolers in Los Angeles Before They Turn 5
This 3 day itinerary will make you fall in love with LA. Photo by Roberto Nickson, via Pexels
3 Days in Los Angeles with Kids: Ultimate Itinerary by a Local Mom
Visit LACMA's Levitated Mass. Photo by Joey Zanetti
100 Things To Do in Los Angeles Before Kids Grow Up

Weekday Picks: First of the Month Free Stuff, Preschool Primer, and Halloween, October 5-9

10/4/15 - By Jacqueline Stansbury

There are all sorts of things you can do with this first week in October, and surprisingly it's not all about Halloween. If you're on your first kid, the subject of preschool likely looms large. Westsiders will want to attend Monday’s Preschool Admissions Panel where representatives of six local preschools will discuss their individual programs and philosophies. If you attended the Preschool 101 workshop, this is a great follow up. If you didn’t make it, more are scheduled later in the month.

As always, the first week of a month means lots of free admissions and two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) of LEGO giveaways. The Natural History Museum, Kidspace in Pasadena, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, and Orange County Museum of Art all offer free admission days this week. Of course my new favorite museum, The Broad, is always free; but it might be best to wait for the crowds to die down before attempting that hot spot with kids.

We often praise the El Capitan Theatre which never disappoints. This week they begin a trilogy of Halloween themed movies starting with Hocus Pocus.

And yes, it is October, and Halloween will be here before you know it. Be sure to check out our Halloween Fun Guide and Daily Events Calendar.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

1. Westside Preschool Admissions Panel – Monday
Get the scoop from representatives of six Westside schools: Brentwood Presbyterian, The Seed Montessori, Cassidy Preschool, Circle of Children, Brentwood Sunshine, and Crestwood Hills.
See all Monday events

2. Free Day at the Natural History Museum – Tuesday
Dinosaurs and Dioramas. Gemstones and California History. Be sure to take a spin through the Spider Pavilion, a temporary exhibit in honor of October’s hallowed holiday.
See all Tuesday events

3. Free First Wednesdays at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium – Wednesday
This program only lasts through the end of 2015. If our crazy hot weather holds, you can make it a beach day, too.
See all Wednesday events

4. Westfield Playdate – Thursday
The mall in Century City hosts a free playdate on the first Thursday of the month, in the kids wing near family restaurant and playspace Giggles and Hugs. This week features stories and coloring with the Crayon Collection.
See all Thursday events

5. Maryellen’s Swingin’ Sock Hop – Friday
There’s a new American Girl: Maryellen Larkin. Her era is the 50s, and doll fans can meet her Friday night at a sock hop.
See all Friday events

There are always plenty more activities on our Daily Events Calendar and in our monthly GoList. And if you don’t receive our newsletters full of suggestions for family fun, you really should subscribe…it’s free!